Social Behavior as Resource Exchange: Explorations into the Societal Structures of the Mind

This book takes the reader on an exciting journey presenting the development of resource theory of social exchange originated from Uriel G. Foa and Edna B. Foa. This groundbreaking theory has inspired and generated a tremendous amount of basic and applied research in various disciplines of psychology, sociology, management, economics, marketing, and political science. This book, edited by Kjell Törnblom and Ali Kazemi, two prominent and leading scholars in this field, complements and deepens the Foas' pioneering work from 1974. Within these covers the reader will find an abbreviated version of the Foas' out-of-print original, which is increasingly referred to by current researchers, alongside new chapters on current issues, developments, and applications written by eleven scholars. The book has a simple and clear-cut message: resource theory is not an exercise in academic hair-splitting but has far-reaching societal implications in that it can provide interesting solutions to a wide range of social issues.

Kjell Törnblom has taught at universities in Sweden, the United States, and Canada and is currently affiliated to the Transdisciplinarity Lab at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich. He has published research on social justice, resource theory, conflict, intergroup relations, theory integration, and co-edited three books including the Handbook of Social Resource Theory and Resource Theory, as well as six special issues of Social Justice Research. Kjell was awarded a Distinguished Alumni Award by the University of Missouri. He is currently co-editor-in-chief (with Ali Kazemi) for Social Justice Research since 2010 and a member of the International Society for Justice Research Executive Board.
Ali Kazemi is Professor of Work and Organizational Psychology at University West, Sweden, where he also serves as the director of the research center for positive organizational studies. He has published more than hundred articles, book chapters, technical reports, and books in various branches of psychology. He has edited several volumes in English and Swedish and is the co-author of Management in Retailing, nominated as the best HR book of 2013 in Sweden. He serves as ad hoc reviewer for several academic journals and is since 2011 the Co-Editor-in-Chief for Social Justice Research.